Villagers Believe They Were Sacrificed for Diamonds

RAPAPORT... Almost 500 families in the Marange area of Zimbabwe were relocated to Arda Transau by diamond miner Anjin Investments, but the families now allege the company failed to supply food rations, clean water, schools and health facilities as initially promised in the relocation agreement, according to The Zimbabwe Standard. Anjin is a joint venture between Chinese investors and Zimbabwe's military.

The newspaper stated that villagers say that life has become unbearable at the settlement and claim that the government has sold them out in order to mine diamonds on what was once their private land.

"Chiadzwa was better because we had dignity and we were self-reliant because we had vast fields to grow food for family consumption," The Standard quoted a villager as saying. The relocation agreement allocated a 0.5 hectare, irrigated plot per family, but the project was never completed, according to the report.

Mutare's district administrator, Cosmas Chiringa, confirmed the problems, and added that the villagers' concerns were being handled at the highest levels of government. However, Manicaland governor, Chris Mushohwe, tore into Anjin saying their efforts were not adequate. Anjin's spokesperson, retired brigadier Munyaradzi Matyatya, told The Standard that it was not neglecting the community and had indeed fulfilled its agreement.